In a first, BJP takes control of Bengal civic body

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday took control of the Bhatpara Municipality, its first civic body in West Bengal, after a majority of its Trinamool Congress coucillors switched over to the BJP, days after the Lok Sabha polls results are announced.

The tenure of the civic body is till 2020, when it will go to polls.

In the board meeting, the BJP bagged 26 votes in the civic body of 34 wards, marking the passing of control from the state's ruling party TMC to the BJP.

The remaining eight councillors were absent.

Sourav Singh, nephew of Barrackpore Lok Sabha MP Arjun Singh, was elected as a new chairman of the Bhatpara Municipality in North 24 Parganas district.

Arjun Singh, a former four-time TMC MLA, had wrested Barrackpore from his old party.

He was also the chairman of the Bhatpara municipality since 2010 till April.

Arjun Singh, who had switched over to the BJP ahead of Lok Sabha polls, was removed from the post of municipality chairman in April in a secret ballot after a no confidence motion was passed against him.

The no confidence against Singh was brought by some of the TMC councillors and Singh lost it by a margin of 21-11.

However, he turned the tables on the TMC after his victory in the Lok Sabha polls.